Liverpool have had some top players in recent history and some have been so key that they did not want to let them leave.

The Reds find themselves embroiled in one of the biggest transfer sagas of modern times, with Alexander Isak trying his very best to force a move through.

The Swede feels as if he has been lied to and promises have been broken, with Newcastle simply refusing to let him leave, at least until they have found two replacements that is.

ALEXANDER ISAK CONFIRMS DESIRE TO LEAVE NEWCASTLE | BREAKING NEWS	Federico Chiesa informs Liverpool of ‘clear desire to stay’ at the club	Liverpool would prefer not to sell 'special' player but he's now pushing to leave - journalist

However, despite Liverpool trying to be as respectful as possible by playing the waiting game, while fans are going into meltdown about how Isak is being treated, the Reds cannot act completely innocent.

In the past, they have pulled a similar tactic and refused to let one of their players leave, but they may have got away with it as it was not made as public as this Isak saga has been.

Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Liverpool have often been known to take good care of their players and if they express their desire to leave, they often let them do so.

They eventually did so with Philippe Coutinho when their demands were met, and so too most recently with Luis Diaz, but one player they denied an exit for was Xherdan Shaqiri.

The Swiss player was somewhat of a ‘super sub’ under Jurgen Klopp and was an excellent option to have at times of need, with Jamie Carragher once labelling him as a ‘brilliant buy’.

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However, despite giving his all for the team even if he was not always rewarded for his efforts, Shaqiri once revealed that he was not allowed to leave despite telling the club he wished to do so.

“I wanted to leave Liverpool sooner, but I wasn’t allowed to; the club wouldn’t let me go,” Shaqiri told German outlet Watson back in 2021.

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“The important thing for me is that I’m gone now.

There were also offers from Spain and Italy.”

Despite this, there is no bad blood between Shaqiri and Liverpool fans, with the Swiss international still something of a cult hero at Anfield, mainly due to those two goals he scored off the bench against Manchester United.

After leaving Liverpool, Shaqiri went on to play for Lyon in Ligue 1, although he did not have the best of spells out there and lasted just a year before joining Chicago Fire in the MLS.

At one point, he was the highest paid player in America and he played there for three years, with the winger now plying his trade back where it all began, in Basel.

Now 33, he captained Basel to their first Swiss league title since 2017, scoring 18 and assisting 21 throughout the campaign.

He is certainly a bit of a legend in that part of the world and at Liverpool he will always be remembered with fondness, even if he expressed his desire to leave.


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